District Of Columbia And Beijing Present 'Design@+' Exhibit And Programs, Monday July 7 - Friday July 11, 2014

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 'Design@+' was produced in collaboration with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, State-owned Cultural Assets Supervision and Administration Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, Yiyuan Society, China International Design Industry Union, Beijing Design Week, Corcoran College of Art +Design, Apartment Zero, DC Fashion Foundation, Studio 202 and with additional advisory support from the Industrial Designers Society of America Mid-Atlantic Chapter.  'Design@+' will be on the view at Powerhouse in Georgetown between July 8 and July 11, 2014.

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Sister Cities Relations between the District of Columbia and Beijing, China, 'Design@+' was launched to bridge the creative conversation between two capital cities – Washington, DC and Beijing- by engaging design professionals and people in the creative fields to reinforce exchanges, trade, creativity and skill developments. During the opening reception on July 7, 2014, The District of Columbia will create a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with Beijing officials to further explore future collaborations within their respective creative industries.  The 'Design@+' Initiative aims to embrace key stakeholders from the United States and international counterparts to discuss critical issues surrounding design such as intellectual property, innovation and trade. This initiative emphasizes the value of design-based collaborations with other fields that have a stake in design through providing a platform for individuals to share their vision, concerns and opinions, and by promoting educational experiences.

"Pairing designers from Beijing and Washington, DC, offers audiences a truly unique, international experience," says Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Fostering international exchanges with China enriches our own city, while offering designers new opportunities. Washington, DC is a great place to live, work and play."

Washington DC is experiencing an urban renewal: a myriad of new retail, restaurants and entertainment options have brought the city national recognition as a vibrant and innovative destination.  Besides its focus on technology startups and efforts on strengthening the roles of incubators, Washington DC is seeking the best approach to leverage its existing resources by embracing another dimension of the creative community – design. As the advocate and chairperson of the 'Design@+' working group, Prof. Yuan Xikun, the renowned artist, sees 'Design@+' as the unique opportunity to educate the public about different design practices and to educate the design community about the latest practical needs and opportunities of urban centers. It is about celebrating different dimensions of design with the belief that art and culture are essential to the vitality of today's metropolis, making it a better place to live, work, and play.

The exhibit includes approximately 80 contemporary designs by DC-based and Beijing-based designers, covering the categories of furniture, product design, fashion design, graphic design and digital and interactive design. Some designs were previously nominated and earned awards at international contests such as Habitare Helsinki, Red Dot Design Award and ENJOIA'T 2012, etc.

Everything is to be thought, imagined, designed and experienced anew. This is the first time for creative individuals and design institutions from District of Columba and Beijing to work together. Both Washington, DC and Beijing possess the abundant access to intellectual capital and creative talents. As the capital cities, they are the home to hundreds of embassies and international cultural centers. The city-to-city collaboration as well as the different interpretation of design will allow individuals, businesses, academia and organizations involved at every stage of the creative and design process to identify opportunities and challenges.

'Design@+' also features a series of public program:  including conversation panels, workshops and seminars, as well as a cocktail mixer. The complementary programming will explore important issues surrounding creative designs.

SOURCE Yiyuan Society